Reissued by
Vitra, the
Chaise Tout Bois is the only chair by French builder and designer Jean Prouvé made entirely from wood. In shape, it is very similar to Prouvé's famous
Standard chair, but the metal base was replaced by wood due to the scarcity of metal during the Second World War. Through its form, the
Chaise Tout Bois expresses Prouvé's intention to provide additional strength at the transition between the seat and the backrest, where the load is greatest. During the war, Prouvé created several prototypes of this chair to test the strength of its structure as well as the joints, the position of the legs and the connection between the seat and the back. The chosen material was based on availability at the time. After the war, oak was again available in sufficient quantity and was an ideal material for a wooden chair, due to its strength and durability. In 1947, Prouvé's
Chaise Tout Bois won the "Meubles de France" competition. The concept of the competition was to find attractive, high-quality furniture and mass-produced products to meet the needs of the post-war society. The
Chaise Tout Bois edited by
Vitra corresponds to one of the variants of Jean Prouvé's 1941 creation, whose construction requires no screws. The height and geometry of the seat are the same as those of the Standard chair and therefore meet current standards and requirements. The warm appearance and feel of the wood offer an interesting contrast with the practical structural design, typical of the Prouvé functional approach.